Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake hosted the sixth annual Baltimore’s Top Neighborhood Moms luncheon at the Vollmer Center at the Cylburn Arboretum. In its sixth year, the Top Neighborhood Moms contest honors strong and dedicated Baltimore women for their efforts to make their neighborhood and community better, safer, and stronger.

“As we work to grow Baltimore by 10,000 families in the next 10 years, we need to inspire residents to dedicate their lives to making their communities better every day,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “The women we honor today are a source of inspiration for us all. Wanting the best for their families, they confront every challenge and work for real progress in their neighborhoods.”

To be nominated, the person does not need to be a mother—rather, someone who has given motherly love through her work for her community. This year, nearly 60 women were nominated by their neighborhood associations for their efforts.

Amelia, co-host of the 98Rock Morning Show served as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event. Dr. Michelle A. Gourdine, CEO and Principal Consultant of Michelle Gourdine & Associates LLC and Author of Reclaiming Our Health: A Guide to African American Wellness, delivered the keynote address. Music was provided by the Baltimore School for the Arts Jazz Combo.

In addition to the luncheon, winners were given a citation from the Mayor and ceramic centerpieces crafted by students at the Careers in the Arts Program at ACCE (Academy for Career and College Exploration. The complete list of women honored as Baltimore’s Top Neighborhood Moms, and the communities that nominated them, is below.

Baltimore City’s nationally recognized summer jobs program, YouthWorks, continues to grow in popularity, increasing the need for employment opportunities this summer. In response, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has committed $500,000 and offered a second $500,000 as a challenge grant to be matched by the private sector. These funds will create more than 650 five-week summer jobs for city youth and young adults. But more money is needed in order to offer employment to all youth who have completed their registration.

U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) President Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued the following statement on U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and his Connecting People to Opportunity Initiative. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors commends U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx for his leadership in focusing public attention on how past investment decisions have harmed low-income families and neighborhoods -- people and places that too often have been asked to carry disproportionate burdens in the siting of major transportation facilities.